Stabilizer



Feb 3% 944 E. BAGNALL. ETAL STABILIZER- Filed April 19, 1941 S1@ mi IN VENTORS.

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Patented Feb. 8, 1944 STABILIZER Edwin BagnalL, Chicago, and Kenneth E. Lyman, Lake Forest, Ill.; said Lyman assigner to said Bagnall Application April 19, 1941, Serial No. 389,281

7 Claims.

Theinvention relates generally to a stabilizer for a spring supported bodyand more particularly to a stabilizer for Vehicles.

A general object ofthe invention is to provide a stabilizer which is an improvement upon the stabilizer disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Edwin Bagnall, Serial No. 364,- 509, filed November 6, 1940.

A more particular `object of the invention is to provide new and improvedmeans for attaching the stabilizer, particularly for attaching the stab'llizer to the frame member.

Anotherobject is to provide` in a stabilizer of the character described, and 4particularly Iadapted for application to a present day Ford, new and improved .means for attaching the upper leaf element-of the stabilizer to the frame member which means provides clearance and assures a rigid connection especially free from play in a direction transversely of the stabilizer and the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a stabilizer embodying the features of this invention, shown in its-normal or unapplied position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the stabilizer show in Fig. 1.

Fig.l 3 isa transverse sectional view taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view showing the stabilizer of Fig. 1 applied tothe vehicle having a transverse spring.

Fig. 5is a side elevational view showing the action ofthe stabilizer when the spring is abnormally exed.

The stabilizer as disclosed herein for exem- A-plary purposes is particularly adapted for use on vehicles having a transverse spring and, more particularly still, for vehicles in which the transverse spring is spaced laterally with respect to the axle. Such relative spring and axle-constructions arefound, among others, onthe present day vFord and Mercury. While the stabilizer will hereafter' be described as applied to such a relative spring and axlev construction, it is not intended that the invention is to-be limited to the specific construction disclosed.` On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modications and alternative constructions falling within the scope and spi-rit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The stabilizer comprises a pair vof leaf elements \6 and I f rigidly secured together'- atKL one of their ends by a plurality ofrivets and in the normal unapplied position ofl'the stabilizer, shown in Fig. 1, extendingA generally parallel with one another. The elements 6 and I areof a high quality metal, preferably spring steel, and are made relativelythin sok as to'be'readily flexible in a direction normal to the planeof the elements. At the same time, the elements are made comparatively wide-so as Vto-oifer tremenduous resistance to bending moments in the plane of the elements andiabove allsto resist a shearing force between the elements;

In order to prevent dirt orother foreign particles from being trapped between thezelements 6 and 'I at their point of engagement, and thus contributing to excessive wear or, more particularly, to the setting up of high local stresses, the elements 6 and 1 are preferably separated by a spacer strip 9 interposed between theelements. In addition, reinforcing strips,l I!) and II are .placed on the outside of the-elements underneath the heads of the rivetsl 8 in order further to strengthen and make more .rigid the connection between the elements 6 and 1. The elements 6 and 'I are not only made comparatively wide, but are also made wide and as short as possible, in order to provide resistance -to twisting ofthe elements relative to their common plane. By way of example, the thickness of the elements may be in the order of one-thirty-second of an inch, while the width of the elements'is in the order of six inches. Thel element 6 is approxi-i mately flve'and one-half .inches in length, while the element 1 is, for a purpose whichA will presently be made known, approximately twice as long as the element. At its remaining` end the element 6 carries means, generally designated I2, for attachment to the frame of a vehiclek to which the stabilizer is applied, and the element 'l carries at its remaining end ameans, generally designated I3, for attachment to the axle of the vehicle.

As previously stated, the stabilizer here dise closed is particularly adapted vfor use on a. vehicle having a transverse spring, and, moreover, one in whichthe `spring is ldisplaced longitudinally of the vehicle with respect to the axle. Typical of such relative spring and axle construction is the front spring structure of a present day Ford. This is illustrated in Fig. 4 and comprises a transversely extending spring I which is received within a channel shaped transverse frame member I5 opening; downwardly. The spring I4 is secured in the channel member I5 by VU-bolts I 6 which overlie -thechannel member I and extend downwardly through holes I1 cut in the frame member I5, with their legs I8 lying between the spring I4 and the sides of the channel member I5 which is made sufficiently wider than the spring to accommodate the legs of the U-bolts. Saddle clips I9 are applied over the ends of the U-bolts I6 and are retained by nuts to secure the spring firmly in the frame member I5. The spring is attached in conventional manner at its ends by shackles (not shown) to the axle 2| which is spaced laterally with respect to the spring I4, and, in the case of a Ford front axle, is spaced rearwardly of the spring so that the vehicle has a longer spring base than it has wheel base. The axle 2| incross section has generally the shape of a conventional I-beam with conventional top and bottom flanges 22 and 23, respectively, and a connecting web 24.

The stabilizer, as best seen in Fig. 4, is appliedY to the vehicle under a slight tension, that is, the leaf elements 6 and 1 must, in the present instance, be separated in order to be applied to the vehicle. It is apparent, therefore, that the stabilizer does not support any portion of the weight of the vehicle and does, therefore, not act in the capacity of a spring, in fact, it serves slightly to preload the spring |4. Also, as seen in Fig. 4, the stabilizer is applied with the cornmon or rigidly connected ends of the leaf elements extending forwardly.

It is a feature of this invention that the means carried by the element B for attachment to the frame of the vehicle is designed to give maximum rigidity to the connection, provides the necessary clearance, and at the same time be economically manufactured and easily applied. To that end, the means I2 takes the form of a bar or plate 25 provided with spaced apertures 26 for the reception of one leg I8 of each of the U-bolts I6. Forming a part of the plate 25 and extending generally parallel with it but in the opposite direction is a flange portion 21 offset downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1, from the main portion of the plate 25. The flange portion 21 is secured to the end of the element 6 by means such as a plurality of rivets 28. Here again there preferably is placed on the face of the element 6 opposite the flange portion 21 a reinforcing and strengthening strip 29. The flange 21 is offset downward.- ly from the main portion of the plate 25 to provide the necessary clearance for the ends of the forward legs of the U-bolts |61, inasmuch as the plate is secured to rearward legs of the U-bolts.

In order that there may not be any displacement of the plate 25 lengthwise of the spring, that is, transversely of the vehicle, each aperture 26 in the plate is flanked by a pair of beads 30 which preferably are formed simply by pressing the same out of the plate 25. The spacing of the beads for each aperture is such that a saddle clip I9 is just received therebetween, and thus serve to retain the plate firmly against movement relative to the frame I5. f

The leaf element 1 is so constructed and the attaching means I3 therefor is so constructed that ample clearance is provided for the ends of the U-bolts IB regardless of the extent to which the spring I4 may be flexed under extreme conditions. To that end, the element 1 is made of such length that it extends underneath and rearwardly beyond the axle 2| with the means I3 then extending forwardly to grip the axle 2|. The means I3 comprises a double jawed clamp, one jaw 3| of which is secured to thei end of the element 1, and the other jaw 32 of which iscaraardse? ried adjustably and removably on the rst jaw. The jaw 3| is formed by a plate of the Width of the element 1 having a main portion 33, which is approximately U-shaped in cross section, and a flange portion 34, by means of which the jaw is attached to the element 1. A plurality of rivets 35 passing through the flange portion 34 secure the jaw 3| rigidly to the element 1, a reinforcing strip 36 being again applied to the face of the element 1 opposite the flange 34. Extending in the opposite direction from the U-shaped main portion 33 are a pair of fingers 31, each terminating in a hook 38 for engagement with the forward edge of the bottom flange 23 of the axle 2|, as clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5. As best seen in Fig. 1, the jaw 3| does not extend exactly parallel with the element 1, but makes a small angle therewith.

Jaw 32 is in the main composed of an angle plate 40 having a flange portion 4| extending in one direction and a pair of fingers 42 extending in the opposite direction, and each terminating in a hook 43 adapted for engagement over the forward edge of the top flange 22 of the axle 2|, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. Each the base of the U-shaped main portion 33 of the jaw 3| and the flange 4| of the jaw 32 are formed with registering holes through `which bolts 44 project, and by means of which and the nut 45 carried thereby the jaws are drawn into tight clamping relationship with respect to the axle 2|. In order that this clamping of the axle by the jaws may be as rigid as possible and wholly free of play, each of the fingers 31 and 42 is, as best seen in Fig. 1, provided with a slight bend intermediate its ends so as to conform to the sloping surfaces of the flanges 22 and 23 of the axle 2|. In this connection, the angle between the angle plate 40 and its flange 4I is not precisely a right angle but slightly greater than a right angle, so that when the jaws are drawn together the flange 4| will form less than a right angle with the bolts 44 and thus serve to lock the nuts 45 and obviate the necessity of lock; washers. To facilitate the attachment of the stabilizer, there is applied to each bolt 44 a speed nut or washer 46 which serves to retain the bolts 44 in the jaw 3| the same as if they were studs rigid with the jaw. A rubber nub 4l is secured in eachfinger 31 to contact the element 1 and thus prevent the wear and noise resulting from metal to metal contact.

, We claim as our invention:

1. In a stabilizer for use with a vehicle having a chassis including a transversely extending member, an axle and a transverse spring secured to the member by a pair of U-bolts astraddle of the spring, and clips beneath the spring, a pair of leaf elements adapted to extend longitudinally of the chassis, and means for attaching the end of one of the elements to the chassis comprising a plate member composed of a first flange portion, a pair of aperturesin said flange portion for the projection therethrough of the far leg of each of the U-bolts, and a second flange portion secured to the end of the one element and offset downwardly to provide clearance between the element and the ends of the remaining legs of the U -bolts.

2. In a stabilizer for use with a vehicle having a chassis including a transversely extending member, an axle and a transverse spring secured to the member by a pair of U-bolts astraddle of the spring, and clips beneath the spring, a. pair of members interconnectedgat-one of their ends and rigidly connected at their remaining ends one to the axle and the other to the chassis, the member connected to the chassis having near the end thereof a pair of apertures to receive one leg of each of the U-bolts, and parallel raised beads flanking each aperture and extending longitudinally of the member, said beads being spaced to receive snugly therebetween a clip of the spring securing means.

3. In a stabilizer for use with a vehicle having a chassis including a transversely extending member, an axle and a transverse spring secured to the member by a pair of U-bolts astraddle of the spring, and clips beneath the spring, a pair of leaf elements, each highly flexible in a direction normal to its plane, extending generally normal to the plane of the spring interconnected at one of their ends and rigidly connected at their remaining ends one to the axle and thev other to the chassis, the connection to the frame including a plate member rigid with one of the' elements and having its major dimension transverse of the element composed of parallel offset and oppositely extending ilange portions, the outermost flange portion extending generally parallel with the element and having a pair of apertures therein for the reception of one leg of each of the U-bolts.

4. In a stabilizer having a pair of wide leaf elements, attaching means for one of the elements comprising a plate member composed of parallel ange portions and a connecting Web, one of said ilange portions being secured to the element, a pair of apertures in the other ilange for the reception therein of securing bolts, and a pair of parallel raised beads extending transversely of said member flanking each of said apertures.

5. In a stabilizer, for use on an automotive vehicle, having a pair of leaf members, means for attaching one end of one of the members to a conventional portion of an automotive vehicle, including a pair of apertures for the reception therein of securing bolts and a pair of parallel raised beads extending longitudinally of said member and flanking each of said apertures in close proximity thereto to aid in holding said member against lateral movement by engagement with the conventional portion of an automotive vehicle.

6. In a stabilizer having a pair of wide leaf elements, attaching means for one of the elements comprising a plate member composed of parallel flange portions and a connecting web, said flange portions extending in opposite directions from the web and substantially normal thereto, one of said flange portions being rigidly secured to the element so that both flange portions extend generally parallel With the element, and a pair of apertures in the other flange for the reception therein of securing bolts.

7. In a stabilizer having a pair of Wide leaf elements each readily flexible in a direction normal to its plane, attaching means for one of the elements comprising a, rigid plate member secured near one end edge to the element, said plate member having a ange portion at the opposite end edge, a pair of apertures in the ilange for the reception therein of securing bolts, and a pair of parallel raised beads extending transversely of said ange ilanking each of said apertures.

EDWIN BAGNALL. KENNETH E. LYMAN. 

